Tips for getting heart rate monitor to work???

[Catrin]

Polar has told me, more than once, that the soft strap must be washed from time to time - in the washing machine! Periodically I toss it in the washer with my bike clothes - and it always improves the performance. I just replaced the strap I from last year as the end of the thing where it hooks just came apart. As long as I wet the contacts on the strap I've not had a problem with it picking up my heart rate. I do have a bra that tends to push it out of the way though...I really need to replace that thing

[OakLeaf]

In the washing machine??? I don't think I'd do that to a Garmin strap. Cripes, their cadence sensors aren't waterproof.

The strap that went with my old Forerunner 301 needed to be scrubbed with an old toothbrush now and then. Dried sweat crystals is probably the least of what was in there. The way the ANT+ hard strap is designed, I've never needed to do more than rinse my transmitter unit (and I don't do that as regularly as some people might) - and I've got a lot of pretty scuzzy miles on it. I do wash the elastic strap once in a while.

[Jiffer]

Thanks guys. You have given me many things to try. I think I'll start with ordering the small strap. Even though safety pinning mine hasn't seemed to help, maybe the smaller strap will somehow help. I have noticed, actually, that my strap loosens when I wear it (but still didn't work right at it's tightest).

I will be careful to clean the sensors.

I will try to lower it and see if that helps. (Already tried putting it "under" the actual bra strap. But typically it goes just below the bra strap.)

I'll look for the Polar sports bra to attach it to.

And if none of that works, I'll resort to trying the older, less comfy strap. Hmmmm. Dh might even have one I could try right now.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

[OakLeaf]

Just to clarify - the small strap I linked to goes with the hard strap, and attaches by means of plastic snap buckles. It's not compatible with the soft strap, that integrates the electrodes into the strap, with metal snaps to snap the transmitter onto the outside of it. Garmin only has the one size of replacement soft straps on their website.

I wear a 34 band, so it sounds like I'm a little bit bigger around than you. I have the hard strap with the standard sized elastic and I don't even have it adjusted all the way tight - I have almost 3" between the adjuster and the buckle, with the strap unstretched (adjusting it would double it, so I'd be able to make the unstretched length smaller by about 1-1/2"). With the hard strap, comfort isn't an issue for me on the bike at all - and in a pinch, like now when I have a big incision from having a mole taken off my back, on the bike I can wear the transmitter under my bra without the strap. Even running, as I said, it only bothers me on the longest, sweatiest runs. For those, some masking tape to smooth the battery cover, and a little body glide under the buckles, helps quite a bit.


Good luck...

[meganm]

I've been having a similar issue with a Garmin HR monitor. I can't seem to find the right position for the sensor. I tried wedging it under my bra band and that was uncomfortable, but positioning it right under the bra has yielded some problems picking up HR.

[Jiffer]

Just to clarify - the small strap I linked to goes with the hard strap, and attaches by means of plastic snap buckles. It's not compatible with the soft strap, that integrates the electrodes into the strap, with metal snaps to snap the transmitter onto the outside of it. Garmin only has the one size of replacement soft straps on their website.

I wear a 34 band, so it sounds like I'm a little bit bigger around than you. I have the hard strap with the standard sized elastic and I don't even have it adjusted all the way tight - I have almost 3" between the adjuster and the buckle, with the strap unstretched (adjusting it would double it, so I'd be able to make the unstretched length smaller by about 1-1/2"). With the hard strap, comfort isn't an issue for me on the bike at all - and in a pinch, like now when I have a big incision from having a mole taken off my back, on the bike I can wear the transmitter under my bra without the strap. Even running, as I said, it only bothers me on the longest, sweatiest runs. For those, some masking tape to smooth the battery cover, and a little body glide under the buckles, helps quite a bit.


Good luck...

Thanks for the clarification. I had seen the smaller strap on the Garmin site last night (didn't realize you gave me a link at first) ... and just assumed it would work with my monitor ... so good to know it won't, although ... BUMMER!

I guess I'll start with asking DH if he has an old version HR monitor. And I'll check out that Polar bra thing as well. I guess I'm off to do that right now. I'm a 34D, by the way. So should be the same rib cage size as you. I did have a woman tell me I could be a 32DD after she measured me for bra size once ... and I was having trouble finding a 34D that fit well. I bought a 32DD and it was uncomfortably tight. Maybe I'm really a 33!

I seriously want smaller boobs. Maybe that will fix ALL my problems!

[Jiffer]

Ok, so I kept forgetting to ask DH when I was in his presence if he had the old Garmin HR monitor. So, I resorted to one of the new and improved methods of communication and emailed him! I just got an email back saying, "Yes, in basket right above sock drawer."

Haha! So I may have my problem resolved ... sitting there in the basket right above the sock drawer.

Not sure when I'm riding next. Probably Sunday or Monday. I'll let you know how it goes.

[zoom-zoom]

I'm a 34D, by the way. So should be the same rib cage size as you. I did have a woman tell me I could be a 32DD after she measured me for bra size once ... and I was having trouble finding a 34D that fit well. I bought a 32DD and it was uncomfortably tight. Maybe I'm really a 33!

I seriously want smaller boobs. Maybe that will fix ALL my problems!

Ha, I think we have the same bra size! Sad thing...I'm a 33D AFTER breast reduction surgery.

I have yet to try my HRM that came with my Garmin Forerunner 305...ever, because of the boob/bra thing. And I have had mine for almost 3.5 years. In fact, I just got my 2nd 305 this week, since the first one was starting to act flaky. So now I have 2 never-used HRMs. I need to sell one of them, at this point.